


Rebellion of the Weakest

by sardonic_pigeon



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, F/F, Gen, Human Names Used, Nyotalia Universe, USSR Era, Violence, protective!Baltics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 02:18:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4373447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sardonic_pigeon/pseuds/sardonic_pigeon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, even the smallest rebellions can seem like large victories. But they always come with a price. The Baltics know this all too well. -USSR era- -Nyotalia- -Twoshot-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rebellion

**Author's Note:**

> This originally started out as a oneshot, but since this first part was so long, I decided to split it up into two parts.
> 
> Since this is Nyotalia, the Baltics’ (as well as Russia’s) personalities are going to be a bit different. However, I still wrote them so that they are recognizable characters.
> 
> There is implied AmeLiet in this. ^^

Lithuania supposed that, in retrospect, it would have been better to keep her hair short. Back when she lived with America, she had chopped off her most of her long locks, going from a braid to a bob to match her enthusiastic housemate's. At first, she had protested, but America had told her to 'get with the times', and finally take advantage of the fact that she was free from Russia's stifling control. After much pleading, the brunette finally agreed.

When she came out of the hairdresser's, America's eyes went wide. At first, Lithuania assumed it was because the style didn't suit her, and she looked down, blushing, but quickly discovered that, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

"Tori… You look beautiful!" The taller girl's voice echoed through Lithuania's mind, causing her to smile wistfully, her eyes getting misty. She remembered that the American kissed her, nearly knocking her over, to her embarrassment. At first, the physical closeness made her throat close up, but she forced herself to relax, telling herself that it was Amelia Jones' lips on hers, and not anyone else's. That night, the two shared America's bed not as friends, but as lovers, but not in the way some of the more…experienced…Nations would expect. They slept intertwined, with America's arms wrapped around Lithuania's, but that was it. At that stage, light physical contact was the only thing the brunette's heavily-conditioned mind and body would allow.

Eventually, Lithuania showed America all the scars that marked her. Instead of wrinkling her nose, the boisterous blonde embraced her, running her hands down her back, as though her touches would soothe the old wounds. That night, she slept without a shirt, no longer ashamed of her body.

Shaking herself back to reality, Lithuania rubbed her aching scalp before returning to shelving the books in the library. What prompted her wistful recollections of her time with America had been the simple fact that Russia liked to yank on her hair whenever she felt like her 'darling' subordinate wasn't moving fast enough, or she said something out-of-line, or sometimes, just because she felt like it. The other two got this treatment as well, but not as much as Lithuania, since their hair was not as long.

Lithuania supposed it was her fault for growing her hair out after she was forced to leave America's house, but when she thought about it, she realized she had no choice. Russia wanted her girls to look and act like 'ladies', after all, and hair was the first step to achieving that. Even when she lived with Germany, she continued to grow her hair until it hung in a wavy curtain halfway down her back. She thought about putting it into a braid, like she used to, but decided not to, since that would make it even easier to grab.

The others had the right idea… Latvia's wavy hair just reached her shoulders, while Estonia's was a tad shorter. The former kept hers down, while the latter pulled hers back into a small, tight ponytail that was too short to grab easily. A part of Lithuania wanted to chop her own hair off again, but the other part of her brain told her not to, lest she wanted to face a punishment.

"I thought I told you to work, Viktorija."

Feeling Russia's hot breath on her neck, Lithuania jumped, dropping the heavy books in her hands. Scrambling to her knees, the brunette willed her shaking hands to pick up the scattered tomes, hoping that none of the pages ripped, and that none of the covers were dented. She nearly got all of them when a painful pressure on her scalp forced her to her feet, pulling and ripping at her hair until she looked her tormentor in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Russia," she began hesitantly, resisting the urge to look away. "Your voice just startled me."

"And whose fault is that, Litva? You were the one daydreaming of that damned American instead of working like you were supposed to!" Narrowing her lilac eyes into slits, Russia forced Lithuania backwards until her back hit one of the bookshelves. "I heard all about your little 'adventures' with Amelia. Let me guess, you spread your legs for her the moment she expressed interest? It was the 'roaring twenties', after all."

"Stop it," Lithuania whispered, gripping the books so hard her knuckles turned white. She looked down, tears threatening to spill from her sunken eyes. She wanted to say 'no', that she didn't take her relationship with the blonde further because she was so scared of intimate touches that any hands on her bare body, even those of her lover, made her panic until she was calmed down, but she didn't. Especially because she was in front of the person who put her in that state.

"Fight back! She has no right to treat you this way!" America's voice rang through her mind.

I can't, Amelia. She'll hurt me worse if I do. And if I'm hurt to the point where I can't work, where does that leave the others? I won't have them suffer for my stupidity. She shook all thoughts of punching the cold Nation from her mind; she doubted she even had the strength to leave a bruise, at this point. She was no longer the empire of Eastern Europe, after all.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Russia tugged on Lithuania's hair harder than ever before, causing the girl to whimper.

"I'm sorry," was the automatic response, pounded into her head (figuratively and literally) through relentless conditioning.

"If you are so sorry, why do you keep looking away, huh? Why don't you ever work fast enough anymore? Latvia can work better than you, and she's the most incompetent of you three!"

"I'd work faster if you'd just let me go!" Lithuania finally blurted. As soon as she realized what she just said, her heart leapt into her throat.

"Fine." Russia let go of her subordinate's hair, pushing her harshly against the bookshelf. As a few volumes fell onto the now-shaking girl's head, she did not react, though it was obvious she was in pain. "Get back to work."

"Yes, miss."

When Lithuania was sure Russia was gone, she placed the books in her arms on the desk and sank to the floor. She was planning on picking up the just-fallen books, but a sharp burst of pain in her head caused her to curl up. To distract herself, she wove her fingers through her hair, trying to gently get rid of all the tangles.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to think of happier times, when she could smile and laugh freely, and her head didn't perpetually ache. Think of Felka. Though she and the Pole had a falling out before Lithuania went to live with America, she still had fond memories of sitting with her outside, where the air was clear and the sun warmed their faces. Poland would braid her hair, her thin fingers dexterously weaving in flowers and ribbons until she looked like some decoration at a garden party. While she hated drawing attention to herself, she didn't mind the blonde's 'art'. In fact, she quite liked it, especially the flowers. She always did love nature…

That was partially the reason she didn't cut her hair when America first asked about it. She was just too attached to the calm feeling it gave her, and the reminiscing it allowed herself to get lost in. But cutting it created new happy memories, which were currently saving her from completely being taken over by a dark depression. Lithuania supposed that this was the reason she was so attached to her hair. As long as it was there, she could escape.

"Viktorija!"

Hearing her name snapped Lithuania out of her thoughts. Panicking, she grabbed the rest of the books off the ground and stumbled to her feet. When she finally looked up, she relaxed, realizing that it was not Russia who called her name, but Estonia, who was flanked by Latvia.

Finally allowing herself to let out the breath she had been holding, she leaned against the desk, exhausted.

"Tori, are you okay?" Latvia's soft voice echoed throughout the otherwise-silent room. She felt the tiny girl's hands on her aching shoulders and she sighed.

"She hurt you again." Estonia strode over to Lithuania's other side.

"It was my fault. I wasn't working fast enough." The brunette stood up and began to shelve the remaining books.

Eying her hair, the taller of the blondes pursed her lips. "Miss Russia pulled your hair again, didn't she."

Lithuania didn't answer, but the silence confirmed it.

"I'm sick of it! I'm sick of us being her dolls to be dressed and brushed and made perfect for world meetings, but then she hurts us afterwards!"

"Shh, Esti! She'll hear us!"

"I don't care. She mostly ignores me, anyway."

"Yeah, but she'll take her anger out on Tori." Latvia stepped in front of the bespectacled Nation. "Or me."

At that, Estonia's eyes softened. "You're right," she finally said, looking defeated. "Neither of you deserve that." She put an arm around the other two Baltics, pulling them close.

At first, Lithuania stiffened when she was touched, though she melted into the contact eventually, despite the fact that Estonia's hand was icy. Esti is hugging you, not anyone else. It's Esti. No one but her.

"Hey. Tori. Look at me."

Though she knew Estonia was talking, the brunette heard the voice of her tormentor. Pulling her hair close, she shook the hand off of her arm and backed away until she hit the bookshelf again.

"Viktorija. Please. I'm not going to hurt you; I'm trying to help you calm down!"

The Lithuanian looked up, her forest green eyes meeting her friend's own teal ones.

"Hey. I have a story for you."

Lithuania knew that Estonia was trying to distract her, but didn't care. As long as the blonde kept talking, she could focus on that, instead of her aching head and back.

"You don't have to be so patronizing; I'm not unresponsive." Viktorija allowed herself to raise an eyebrow. Sometimes, she acts like she's the eldest of us three.

Estonia smiled, laughing quietly. "I know." She leaned in, almost conspiratorially. "Still want to hear the story?"

Lithuania decided to humor her friend. "Go ahead."

"Have you noticed that Miss Russia won't use my human name? It's because 'Esti' sounds too close to 'Eesti', and she'd cut out her own tongue rather than speak my language, especially when she beats me for speaking it. It's the only thing she hurts me for…"

"But…" Latvia began, tugging on Estonia's sleeve.

"Shh, Milda, I'll get to that. Be patient!" The Finno-Ugric girl pushed up her glasses. "You two know that Evelin is my real name, and that Esti was just a nickname Mil here gave me when she was too small to pronounce 'Eesti' properly. But Russia doesn't know that. So she's stuck calling me by my country name in Russian unless she wants to accidentally speak Estonian. And the best part is, 'Esti' really is a name, and it was meant to be patriotic towards my land! That's why I told you to call me 'Esti' when we were first pulled under Russia's rule all those years ago."

Lithuania had never seen Estonia look so smug. While it might have been small, these little acts of rebellion meant a lot to the three Baltics, so they enjoyed the little victories—though they might seem insignificant to the outsider—whenever they could.

"You use 'Esti' so much that you should probably just change your name to it completely. It's been centuries since I've called you 'Evelin'." The brunette's headache started to dissipate, so she felt well enough to crack a joke.

"Are you kidding me? Then my complete name would be Eesti: Esti von Bock! It sounds like Estonia Estonia! Though it does sort of have a nice ring to it, and it does feel good to piss Russia off with it. Hell, it's been so long since anyone's called me Evelin that it doesn't sound like my name anymore…"

The three laughed quietly until Lithuania and Latvia realized Estonia wasn't joking. Both shorter Nations wrapped their arms around their friend, trying to comfort her.

"It…it feels good to laugh again. It's been so long…" Latvia fixed the ribbons in her hair. "It sort of hurts my throat. But in a nice way. But I'm sorry that it was at your expense…"

Estonia embraced her tighter, rubbing her shoulders. She then looked to Lithuania, narrowing her eyes. "You really need to do something about your hair; if you keep it at that length, Russia will continue to grab it and use it against you!"

"I know. But only Miss Russia gives haircuts. She wants us to look like proper ladies."

"Well you know what, she can go f—" She cut herself off, clearing her throat instead. "I say you could use a trim."

Lithuania narrowed her own eyes. "Hypothetically speaking, even if I wanted it done, how would you do it? You can't just ask Miss Russia for scissors."

"What if I told you I don't have to?" Estonia raised her eyebrows. "It pays to be the neglected one, sometimes." With a smirk, she quietly walked out of the room.

While the tallest Baltic was gone, Lithuania took the time to straighten out the books again, just in case Russia came back to check on them. Latvia caught on and brushed the last bits of dust off of the lower shelf.

"Voila."

The two turned around at their friend's voice, their eyes widening as they saw the scissors in her hands.

"What did I tell you?" Estonia put the utensil in her pocket. "Come with me; we still need to finish cleaning Russia's office." There was a glint in her eyes that Lithuania hadn't seen before, and she wasn't sure that she liked it.

When the three reached the eerily-silent room, Estonia shut the door. "Milda? I'll do yours, first."

"My hair?" the Latvian practically squeaked. "But it's not very long…"

"I know. But this should be a symbol of solidarity, that we're united. If Tori cuts her hair, then we do, too."

"Ah. O…okay…" With shaking hands, Latvia unclipped the ribbons from her hair and undid the small braid on the left side that Russia gave her. "But…in Miss Russia's office?"

"Just think of it as sort of a 'f—take that' to Russia, for everything she's done to us."

"But…" Latvia let the bows drop to the floor, wringing her hands.

"We'll clean it up when we're done, Milda." Estonia tapped her foot.

"I don't want to be hurt, though!"

"Maybe we should just not do it." Lithuania pulled Latvia to her chest, gently stroking the now-crying girl's hair.

"Aren't you tired of letting her attack us? Our people are fighting back in small ways and are dying for us! The least we can do is defy Russia in small ways. We need to show her that she can't walk over us!"

Latvia looked up, both enthralled and frightened by Estonia's words.

"Just, trust me." The taller blonde's voice was surprisingly gentle, filled with love for her two friends. "Please. And when Russia sees us… I'll take the fall for you two. I'm…I'm just tired of seeing her using your hair as a weapon against you. It…it hurts."

Latvia wriggled her way out of Lithuania's grasp and tugged on Estonia's jacket. "I…I'm ready. You can cut my hair."

The second-oldest Baltic smiled, though there were tears in her own eyes. "Okay." Smoothing the shorter girl's hair down as best she could, Estonia pulled it back into a makeshift ponytail, holding it just below where she wanted to cut. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the scissors from her pocket and sliced through the thick waves.

"Ah!" Latvia's eyes went wide with shock for a moment, but quickly relaxed, though she still trembled. Now, her hair just reached her chin. She stumbled back to Lithuania, moving like she was almost in a daze.

"You look really cute, Milda. Don't worry!" Estonia put the loose hair on Russia's desk. "You're up, Tori. I'll cut yours, too."

Lithuania nodded, slowly walking over to her friend.

"Yours'll be easier, since it's so much longer. How does neck-length sound?"

The brunette didn't respond. She merely clenched her fists and closed her eyes, involuntarily shuddering when Estonia pulled her hair back. When she felt the scissors brush against her neck, she gasped, her eyes snapping open.

"I… I…I'm sorry." She backed away from Estonia, tears burning her eyes. When she composed herself, she finally spoke. "Can I do it myself?" Lithuania knew that if she didn't do it right now, she never would.

Sensing the determination in her tone, the bespectacled Nation nodded, handing her the scissors. Narrowing her eyes, Lithuania gripped her hair where Estonia had it before, took a deep breath… And cut. Suddenly exhausted, she slowly let herself sink to the floor, still gripping her hair.

"Breathe, Viktorija," Estonia instructed. "It's okay; it'll grow back eventually."

Lithuania nodded, shakily handing her the scissors.

"Since you're in no state to do it," the taller blonde turned to Latvia, "can you cut mine? I'll kneel."

Latvia nodded. Since Estonia's hair was already tied up in a ponytail, all she did was cut it off, nearly throwing it onto the desk.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. "I thought I told you three that closed doors are not a—" Russia cut herself off mid-sentence when she saw exactly what had occurred.

"You ungrateful children!" she snapped, towering over the three. "I make sure to give you nice haircuts and clothes, and this is how you repay me?" She yanked on Latvia's shirt, pulling her forward. "Was this your idea, suka?"

Latvia shrank back, trying to escape, though it was futile.

"No, Russia! It was mine!" Estonia rushed to Latvia's side, all trace of rebellion gone from her eyes. Instead, fear remained.

"Oh, Milda. You don't deserve friends like these…" Russia's hand moved to her throat. "Miss Estonia is so nice to try to stick up for you, but I know her well. She's a smart young lady, unlike you; she'd never come up with such a stupid plan. And judging from the terrified look on weak Miss Viktorija's face, she didn't even want to do this. That leaves you."

As soon as the word left the cold Nation's lips, she ripped the scissors from Latvia's hand and stabbed them into her upper arm.

The shorter blonde writhed in pain, knowing from experience that it would be worse if she screamed. Instead, she just silently cried. She could not keep up her quiet façade when the scissors were pushed into her flesh further and twisted. "Please, Miss Russia! It hurts!"

Before Russia could react, Lithuania saw red. She dropped her cut hair, leapt to her feet, and threw herself into Russia.

"Esti!" she yelled, looking behind her. "Hold Milda!" That look proved to be her downfall; she found herself being pushed to the ground and pinned down by Russia.

"I thought I taught you better than this, Tori! Would another night in the basement help you learn to respect me?"

All the fire left Viktorija's body as it remembered the harsh bite of the whip on her back. "I…I'm sorry, Miss Russia."

For a second, the lavender-eyed Nation almost looked sad. But it soon passed, and she stood up, the cold glint back in her eyes. She strode over to Estonia and slapped her across the face before pulling the now-in shock Latvia from her arms.

"You are an insolent little brat who does not know how good she has it!" Russia hissed, pressing the girl forward until her back met the corner of the desk. "I don't lock you in a cold room all day. I dress you up nicely. I feed you." With each sentence, she added more pressure until Lithuania could see the sharp edge of the corner digging into the young subordinate's back. "You. Know. Nothing."

Now Latvia screamed, the pain too great for her to bear silently.

"Stop it, Miss Russia, please! You're going to break her spine!" Estonia yelled, her voice cracking.

Suddenly, a deathly calm fell over Russia. She pulled Latvia away from the desk, though her hand gripped the shorter girl's hair tighter than necessary.

"You're coming with me. All three of you."

Without another word, she exited the room, dragging Latvia by her hair.

"Please, Miss Russia!" Estonia pleaded, matching her pace with her tormentor. "This was my idea; it really was! Don't pull them into this!"

Lithuania could see that with each step, the tallest Baltic was breaking.

"No, it was Latvia's. We went over this."

"Anya! What are you doing?" Ukraine stuck his head out of his room, his blue eyes worried.

"Stay out of this, Yaroslav! These three—" She shook Latvia violently. "—have taken advantage of my good will."

"Please. Think about what you are doing! If they are too hurt to move, how can they work?"

"Just shut up! And they'll be able to move, unless they're weaker than I thought!"

Ukraine closed his eyes before darting back into his room. But not before Lithuania saw his mouthed 'I'm sorry'.

Russia walked further until she found the room she was looking for. Throwing open the door to her bedroom, she tossed Latvia inside and pushed the other Baltics after her before walking in, locking the door behind her.

She grabbed the back of Latvia's vest, dragging her into the master bathroom. When all four of them were inside, she finally spoke. "Strip."

"What? Why?" Estonia's eyes widened.

"Because I don't want anything to get all over your nice clothes. Stupid Milda made me tear her clothes twice today, after all. I am so glad the one on her arm was a puncture wound so there won't be any large bloodstains, but the one on her back? It'll take forever for Moldova to mend it!"

"But!"

"Shut your mouth, Milda. Or do you want me to cut out your tongue?"

The Latvian complied, even going so far as to bite her own lip. With trembling hands, she unbuttoned her vest and shirt, letting them pool to the floor, followed by her skirt. The other Baltics followed suit until all three stood shivering in their underwear.

"When I said 'strip', I meant everything."

Lithuania knew by the tone that there was no convincing Russia otherwise. Blinking back tears, she removed her bra before sliding her panties off. She looked down, not wanting to look at Russia or her friends.

"Ah, Milda. You look like a starved child, or a dog on the streets. I could play your ribs like a xylophone. I had no idea how ugly you were until now. You do have a pretty face, though…"

The only sounds in the room were Russia's mocking voice, and Latvia's quiet sobs.

"Estonia… Looks like your face isn't the only thing that's boyish. Even Latvia has more of a figure than you; you're a disgrace of a woman! You're tall; I thought your breasts would be bigger than this!"

Lithuania looked up in time to see Russia cup her hands around Estonia's chest, squeezing her breasts until her nails broke the skin. For once, Estonia cried, her shoulders shaking from the effort. When the lavender-eyed woman let go, she slapped the bespectacled Nation's thigh. "Your legs are nice, though."

Finally, Russia turned her steely gaze onto Lithuania. The brunette held her breath as she was looked up and down. "No wonder America wanted you, Viktorija. There's no denying that you're beautiful. However, those scars all over you are so, so ugly. But they're your own fault. I guess that means you're ugly, too, at least in personality." She turned to all the girls, her eyes narrowed. "Your best feature, for every single one of you, was your beautiful hair. Why did you have to ruin it?" She slammed her hands onto the sink. "Sit on the edge of the bathtub. Now."

The three complied, with Latvia sitting in the middle. Lithuania noticed that both of the girl's wounds were still bleeding, and that the gash on her back had bruising surrounding it.

"If you're going to cut your hair and diminish your beauty, then I'll just take away what beauty you have left."  
"What?" Estonia instinctively intertwined her fingers with Latvia's. Lithuania did the same to the youngest Baltic's other hand.

Russia rifled through her cabinet until she found what she was looking for. Electronic hair clippers.

With a jolt, Lithuania knew what was going to happen. Before she could move, Russia literally sat on her lap and turned the clippers on. The brunette cried as her remaining hair was shaved off, falling to the floor and into the bathtub. She continued to weep as the same was done to Estonia, who clenched her fists.

Finally, Russia grabbed Latvia's throat. With a force harder than what she used on the older Baltics, she dug the clippers into her thick hair, pressing unnecessarily hard. Even when the tiny girl's head was shaved, she still ran the clippers over it once more.

With a whimper, Latvia grabbed onto Estonia's arm as the blades cut into her skin. Blood dripped onto the tub, creating a sickening contrast against the white. When she finally allowed herself to cry, Russia stopped, almost looking alarmed.

"I am so sorry, but you needed to learn. You can't just go stirring up rebellions, after all!" Shaking her head, she washed the blades before throwing the clippers back in her cabinet. "Clean this up." Cracking her neck, she left.

As soon as Russia slammed the door, Lithuania fell to her knees. Her hair, her only source of comfort, was gone, shredded all around her. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest; it hurt so much. Her vision went blurry, and she gasped, suddenly unable to breathe properly.

"Viktorija? Viktorija!" Estonia knelt down, enveloping the eldest Baltic in a hug. When Lithuania's head brushed against her friend's chest, she noticed that the younger girl's body stiffened and slightly pulled away at her touch.

"Come on, Viktorija. Breathe! You can do this! Please! It's just hair; it'll grow back!"

"I kn-know!" Lithuania rasped, unable to stop gasping. "But I can't stop! All those good times… With Felka and Amelia…and flowers, and flappers, and…" She cut herself off, crying more.

"All of those memories are still with you, Tori! You don't need your hair for them!"

A loud 'thunk' caused Estonia to whirl around. "Oh God! Milda!"

Forcing her head up, Lithuania squinted through her blurry vision to see Latvia's limp form in the tub.

"This is all my fault!" Estonia sobbed, gently pulling her unconscious friend into her arms and cradling her, not caring that blood got on her chest and stomach. "If I only listened to you, Tori! None of this would have happened!"

The normally-confident girl's anguished sobs caused Lithuania to snap out of her daze. Not even caring that she was naked, she mechanically stood up and grabbed Russia's personal first aid kit—Why does she have one? She's not the one being beaten and whipped!—before she wet a washcloth and knelt down.

"Lay her on her back, Esti; I need to clean these gashes on her head first. You can take care of her arm."

The two worked silently until their friend's first two injuries were bandaged. Without being told to, Estonia gently flipped Latvia onto her stomach, exposing the angry mess of blood and bruises on her back. Hissing in sympathy, the bespectacled Nation quickly washed and bandaged that wound, as well.

Afterwards, Estonia wrapped a towel around her friend, who began to stir. Lithuania said nothing as the taller girl helped her into her undergarments, followed by her shirt and skirt, before shrugging on her own underclothes and dress.

Lithuania sank back to the floor, her head throbbing. When Latvia crawled into her lap, she embraced her tightly, but gently.

"Stay here," Estonia instructed, wiping the tear tracks off of her face. "I'll be right back."

/

Estonia was mad. No, she was furious. She let the anger overtake her anguish as she stormed downstairs. She had no idea if that's where Russia was headed, but for some reason, something in her gut told her she was there.

When she reached the kitchen, she realized she was right. Before she could lose her nerve, she threw the door open.

"How could you?" she hissed, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Milda did nothing wrong! You hurt her so badly that she passed out!"

"I know." There was a flicker of remorse in Russia's eyes, though it was gone before Estonia could fully process it. "I know you were the one who came up with the plan. I could see it in your eyes."

"What?" Estonia's body went cold.

"Of course it wasn't Latvia; she's too groomed to ever come up with this sort of plan. But you… I gave you too much time to think, and you became cocky. I hope this fixed that. I know that little Milda is your weakness."

"You…You bitch!" With a screech (that was admittedly undignified), Estonia threw herself at Russia. She was able to get one punch in before she was kicked to the ground. Not giving up, she sprang to her feet and tried again. This time, the taller woman was ready for her. Without a moment of hesitation, she reached for the shovel the rested near the door and swung it at Estonia, making contact with her stomach.

Tears fell from the Finno-Ugric Nation's eyes, but she didn't allow herself to stay down. No, she got right back up again and fought, to avenge her (both physically and mentally) injured friends. Even when the blade of the shovel mercilessly dug into her body, she would not back down.

"Why won't you learn to just DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD!" This time, Russia aimed her makeshift weapon differently, hitting Estonia in the forehead, knocking her glasses off.

The world spun, and Estonia found herself falling, falling until she hit the kitchen floor. She vaguely heard the shovel being tossed aside, and freezing hands caressing her face. Before her consciousness faded, she swore she heard a faint, "I'm sorry. But you needed to learn your place… I didn't mean to hit you so hard… But you wouldn't have learned otherwise…"

Not caring about Russia's debate with herself, Estonia gladly embraced the black that overtook her vision, welcoming its soothing darkness.


	2. Dolls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Part Two of 'Rebellion of the Weakest'! This part won't be nearly as long, but since it takes place the next day, I thought I would separate it. (Plus, the first chapter was long enough as it was, XD.)
> 
> Haha, I don't have much to say other than enjoy~ (Though I don't think this is as good as the first part...)
> 
> *Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.*

The three Baltics sat silently as Russia painted their faces with all sorts of makeup. This was the ritual before every world meeting; the cold Nation would groom them and dress them and paint them, all to make sure they looked like dolls and not abused children. She would cover all visible bruises, lighten the bags under their eyes, and give their faces a healthy glow. This time, they all wore matching dresses, though Lithuania's was dark green, Estonia's was blue, and Latvia's was maroon.

While the large bruise on Estonia's forehead was easy to cover up, the gashes on Latvia's head were not, since they needed to be bandaged, especially since both injuries had only been inflicted the day before. After awhile of staring angrily at the white cloth, Russia decided to give up. She left it as-is, narrowing her eyes. "If anyone asks?"

"I was stupid and fell down the stairs," was Latvia's quiet reply.

"Good girl." Russia squeezed the girl's shoulder tightly. She turned her focus to the rest of the trio. "Now, you all know what to do. Sit up straight, stay silent, and take notes. If you can do this, there is no reason for me to punish you later."

"What if people ask about our hair?" Latvia blurted out, much to Lithuania's dismay.

"Say nothing."

"But you said for me to answer if people ask about my head!"

"Shut up, Milda. Now."

The Latvian fell silent, clasping her shaking hands. "Yes, Miss."

Silence fell over the room until it was time to go to the meeting.

"Go to the kitchen; Yaroslav, Nikolai, and Stanca will be waiting there. I will get Julchen."

Lithuania grimaced, looking down. Technically, the country of Prussia was dissolved, but, in order to not die, the personification latched herself onto the newly-made GDR, or East Germany, as it was more commonly called in America. Even though she was only a satellite state of the USSR, Russia insisted on having Prussia live with the other members, since Prussia the country no longer existed. Julchen Beilschmidt did not go down without a fight, though, so she was usually locked in her bedroom all day, food and water delivered to her through a slot in the door. Though the attic room had its own bathroom, Lithuania could never bring herself to be jealous; she would never want to be alone when she slept.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Lithuania stood up, following the other Baltics to the kitchen, where Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova were waiting. As soon as they made it into the room, Moldova moved from her spot next to Belarus, instead standing next to Latvia.

"What happened to your hair?" Ukraine asked, frowning.

"Ah…Miss Russia thought we'd look better without it…" Lithuania looked down, wringing her hands.

"While your hair was beautiful, this puts more emphasis on your eyes," Belarus pointed out. "They're gorgeous."

"I guess…" While Lithuania was flattered by Belarus' obvious liking towards her, she was a bit put-off by it. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the young man (though he did get a bit possessive of Lithuania and overprotective of Russia); the brunette just wasn't attracted to him. Or any male, for that matter.

But she pushed that thought aside when she heard the door slam open.

"Now stay!" Russia barked, pushing the silver-haired woman into the room.

Though Prussia's eyes burned with hatred, she cradled her right hand and stood next to Moldova.

"If you behave at this meeting, I might let you tag along with my Baltics when they work, tomorrow." Russia straightened her coat.

"Ooh, goody! I get to slave around instead of being locked up. Will I get my head shaved, too? I always wanted to make a rope with my hair and strangle you with it!"

Latvia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Lithuania noticed how the short Nation's eyes widened in admiration, and she clenched her fists. No, Latvia. If you act like her, you'll be killed! Her greatest fear was her friend acting like Prussia, and paying for it with her blood.

Instead of lashing out like she usually did, Russia merely grabbed Prussia's hand and squeezed it. While the ex-Nation only hissed, Lithuania could see that she was suppressing most of her true pain. She saw the bandages around the woman's fingers, and was able to guess what happened. Her fingers on that hand are broken.

"Let's go," Russia barked, finally releasing her hold on Prussia. She led the way outside, to her van. Prussia, Latvia, and Moldova were forced into the very back, while Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine sat in the middle row. Russia herself took the driver's seat, while Belarus sat in the passenger side, looking protectively at the lavender-eyed woman.

The ride to the airport was silent (minus a few scattered moments of tone-deaf singing courtesy of Prussia), as was the flight to Denmark. When the group made it off the plane, Russia quickly walked everyone to the hotel, which was conveniently close to the airport. She ushered them inside, making sure to push Latvia and Prussia with more force than necessary. The former stumbled, but the latter caught her, smiling sadly.

"You're okay, kid," she whispered, rubbing her back. "I got you."

Suddenly, Estonia stumbled, lurching to the ground. She held her head, an expression of pain on her face.

"Estonia!" Lithuania was at her side immediately, helping the tall blonde to her feet.

"'M okay." Her voice was slurred, and she forced herself to her feet, leaning against the brunette. "Head hurts, though."

Lithuania wished she could hit Russia. She knew Estonia was suffering from some sort of head-trauma, though she was good at hiding it.

"Just a few more steps," she soothed, hoping that her friend would be able to stay conscious for the whole meeting. She knew that if she couldn't, the Finno-Ugric girl would be punished worse when they got home.

When they made it to the meeting room, Lithuania sighed in relief. She helped Estonia into her chair and sat next to her. Latvia took the chair on the brunette's other side, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Milda," Lithuania whispered, not wanting to alert the other Nations, who had already started to stare at them. "What's wrong?"

"My head burns! And I can't sit straight; my back brushes against the chair, and it hurts…"

"Try your best, Mil; it'll all be over soon."

Latvia nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"What is up with your hair?" Denmark raised an eyebrow. "Why is it all shaved?"

Not wanting to risk punishment later, Lithuania said nothing. Her face blushed with shame, especially when she met the horrified eyes of America.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Denmark's voice got louder.

Before she could respond, Prussia winked at them. "Duh, it's because they formed a new group: the Baldtic Trio!" She cackled, seemingly pleased with her own joke.

Denmark laughed a bit as well, before she realized that she was leading the meeting, and should probably start with the official business before people got mad.

Lithuania found herself tuning out the spiky-haired Nation's voice, instead daydreaming of her time with America and Poland. Before she knew it, three hours had gone by, and the meeting was nearly over.

All of a sudden, a tiny gasp from Latvia made her snap out of her daydreams.

"It hurts so bad!" she whispered frantically. "I can feel blood seeping through the bandages."

And she was right. Slowly, a small red stain permeated the crisp whiteness of the cloth. But Lithuania knew there was nothing she could do. She brought extra bandages, but Russia would never allow her to redress the wound, especially not during a meeting. Her panicked eyes swept over the room, looking for any chance to escape, but she found nothing. However, when she met Prussia's eyes, the woman did something unexpected. She nodded.

"Hey, Annie!" she yelled, turning everyone's gaze towards her, as well as Russia. "When we get back, are you gonna throw me in the basement for that hair comment, or are you just going to sit on your fat ass all day and make Ukraine lock me up?"

"I would do no such thing, Prussia," Russia stated, her voice innocent, but with a sharp edge to it. "You're such a good friend to me." With false sweetness, she grabbed the woman's now-gloved hands and slammed them onto the table. "I am so sorry! I wanted to shake your hand, but I slipped!"

While the cold Nation's eyes were on Prussia, the silver-haired woman looked Lithuania directly in the eyes and mouthed, 'Go'.

The brunette nodded. Taking the chance, she quickly grabbed Latvia and Estonia and guided them out of the room. Not really knowing where she was going, she ran down the hallway until she saw the sign for the room she was looking for: the bathroom. Ushering her friends inside, she quietly shut the door behind her.

Estonia sank to the floor, covering her head. "The loud noises… And the bright lights… They're killing me!"

Lithuania suspected that the tall blonde was suffering from a concussion, and her heart broke for her. When Estonia flinched as she put a hand on her shoulder, it broke even more. As soon as she realized that there was really nothing she could do, she turned her attention to Latvia, who had begun to cry.

"I hate her!" she spat. "I hate her so much! What gives her the right to hurt us? To make us work without rest? To humiliate us?"

"Shh, Milda!" Lithuania hoped that no one was out in the hallway.

"No! Do not 'shh' me! I'm tired of living like this!"

Lithuania suspected that Prussia's outburst was what made Latvia so…vocal.

"She went too far yesterday! Not only did she shave our heads, but she groped Esti! Now I can't even touch her without her flinching!"

"Shut up!" Estonia's face went red. "I just hurt all over, that's all…"

Before Latvia could respond, Lithuania jumped into the conversation. "Let me see your head."

Nodding, Latvia unraveled the bandages, wincing when she peeled off the part stuck to her wounds. As soon as she tossed the bloody mess into the garbage, the door opened. Estonia scrambled to her feet and tried to stand in front of her friends, though her legs shook from the effort. They gave out completely when she realized who just walked in.

"Latvia didn't fall down the stairs." America's eyes were filled with disgust. "Anya did this to her, didn't she?"

"Ameli—Miss America! What are you doing in here?" Lithuania practically squeaked, surprised by her lover (former lover, she reminded herself) being in the room.

"After Prussia started one hell of an argument with Anya, I noticed you three were gone. And considering that two thirds of you looked like you were about to drop, I figured you came in here to get away." She stepped closer to Lithuania, looking her up and down as she finished washing and bandaging Latvia's wounds. "What happened to you, Tori?" Her eyes filled with sadness.

It was at that moment that Lithuania broke. She threw her arms around America, sobbing into her jacket. When she was calm enough to talk, she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Yesterday, we all cut our hair shorter to show Miss Russia that she couldn't control us. She got mad and shaved our heads. But…but she thought Milda planned it all, so she used the hair clippers to cut her head open! And when Esti tried to fight back, Miss Russia beat her senseless!"

"Milda was innocent," Estonia added, her voice cold. "It was my idea; I told them that I would take the fall for all of us. But Russia wouldn't have it. She used Milda's pain to get to me! Manipulative bitch…" The last part was muttered.

"She also assaulted Estonia."

"Why do you keep bringing that up, Mil? It's no big deal! It didn't bother me! It didn't do anyth—" When Latvia's hand got near the taller blonde's chest, she hissed, stiffening.

"I…I think it did." Lithuania gently took Estonia's hands in her own.

"Her hands were just so cold…and they hurt…" the bespectacled Nation muttered, blushing. "It's no big deal, really. Once the cuts heal, I'll be fine."

Something in Estonia's voice was off, to Lithuania. She's trying to be strong for us, but this hurt her more than she will ever admit. The brunette recalled back to when Russia dressed them that morning. Esti just…froze…when Miss Russia put the dress on her. I don't even think she knows that she's doing it… The fact that her friend was in so much mental pain from something that Russia did made Lithuania hate her even more.

"What did Anya do to her?" America asked, confused.

Lithuania opened her mouth, but before she could talk, Estonia cut her off. "She doesn't need to know. Please…don't tell her. It's not important!"

The shame in the younger girl's eyes almost made Lithuania cry again. "I'm sorry, Estonia. But she needs to know."

"Fine." Estonia's eyes were icy, and she turned away. "But I'm telling you, it's stupid. I was more worried about you than myself."

"Well… Before Anya shaved our heads, she, ah, she made us all strip."

"Go on." America's voice took on a hard edge, like she was trying to keep herself from punching the nearest wall.

"She…humiliated us. When she got to Estonia, she…she groped her, for awhile."

"Oh, Esti…" America knelt down, pulling the younger girl into a hug.

"Don't pity me; like I said, I'm fine." She wriggled out of America's grasp.

"None of you are fine!" America stood up again. "She's denying you basic human rights, and you're forced to take it without a complaint! That's not right! To hell with my boss's orders! I'm gonna go back into that room and finish what Julchen started!"

"Amelia! Don't." Lithuania gripped the front of the taller girl's jacket. "You'll only make things worse. Please! I don't want you involved, too!"

"But don't you want a happy ending?"

"This isn't a book, Amelia." Lithuania hated the words that spewed from her mouth, but she knew she had no choice. "There's not going to be a happy ending."

America wrapped one arm around the shivering girl, who now cried silently, the other arm gently rubbing her head. "I just want to help! You three are going to die in there if she keeps treating you this way. I know you'll come back, but still."

"I know. But this isn't your fight." As much as Lithuania wanted America to whisk her away, she knew it wouldn't work. "Please… Just… Tell your people that mine, that ours—" She gestured to Latvia and Estonia. "—are being oppressed. I know it won't do much, but I just want to spread the word."

America looked at Lithuania with more pain in her eyes than she'd ever seen before. "Okay. If that's what you want."

_No!_ Lithuania wanted to scream. _It's not! I want you to take us away, and we can live with you, and it'll be warm, and safe, and not this hellhole of a life! I want you to make sure Esti understands that touch doesn't equal 'bad', and that Milda can read and write and play and have a childhood. I want to share your bed and talk about jazz, and films, and clothes, and not pain!_ That is what she desperately wanted to say, but she she didn't. What she did say was, "Yes."

Before she could blink, America tightened her embrace and kissed her, with a juxtaposing gentle ferocity that Lithuania had come to know and love. And that is what made this hurt more than ever before.

Once they pulled away, America let Lithuania sink to the floor next to her friends. "I will never let this go," she warned, her eyes ablaze with many emotions. "I will continue to fight this. I won't go after Anya now, but believe me. I will. I'm sorry, Tori. But belligerence is in my nature."

Without another word, she left. As soon as the door shut, Lithuania sank to her knees, sobbing.

"You did the right thing, Viktorija." Estonia embraced her. "If Russia knew about this, we'd be punished worse."

"I know. But what if she was able to free us?"

"Then the Cold War would go from a war fought with technology to a war fought with soldiers. Do you really want to put our people through that? Or America's? Or even Russia's?"

Lithuania just shook her head. She watched as Estonia pulled Latvia into an embrace, then pulled her into it, as well. _Pull yourself together, Tori! You're the eldest! Do not make Esti comfort you all the time!_

It was at that moment when the door slammed open again, this time, revealing Russia.

"Did I say you could leave?" she coldly inquired.

"I'm sorry, Miss Russia." Latvia clenched her fists. Lithuania could see she was trying to keep the bite out of her voice. "My head started bleeding, and I asked the others to help me change my bandages. You said you wanted it to be as unnoticeable as possible."

"I did say that. But, Miss Milda, you and the others broke the most important rule for world meetings." Russia narrowed her eyes. "You didn't ask for permission. Dolls can't move on their own, after all…"

Lashing her arm out, she grabbed the front of Latvia's dress, yanking the girl towards her. "The meeting is over; we're going home. The others are waiting by the entrance. Poor Julchen's hit her head and is being held by Yaroslav, but she'll be in her nice room, soon. You three will join me in the basement tonight, as well."

Feeling sick, Lithuania stood up. As she watched Latvia being dragged, and Estonia's muscles stiffening, she knew what she had to do. I need to be strong, for their sake. Shaking all of her regrets out of her mind, she silently vowed to focus on only the wellbeing of her two friends. _I will protect them; they are my life, now._

/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't too horrible of an epilogue. I know the ending isn't happy, but I couldn't see it any other way.
> 
> Haha, since this is Nyotalia, I thought that Belarus would like Lithuania, and not the other way around. Also for his character, I thought that he would be overprotective of Russia, but not romantically in love with her.
> 
> 'Stanca' is the name I use for NyoMoldova. (Her full name being Stanca Iliescu)
> 
> I really hope Estonia does not seem 'unnaturally wimpy', here. Not only was she humiliated and beaten, but her chest was also grabbed without her consent, while she was naked. I don't see how that wouldn't affect her, X'D. So that is why she acts the way she does in this chapter. (Also, like Lithuania states, she doesn't even know she's reacting this way; it's all involuntary.)
> 
> Milda is developing as a character as well; she is getting sick of being treated like trash. (However, her demure nature won't let her comments go as far as Raivis' do, X'D.)
> 
> Finally, Tori is also beginning to develop, too.
> 
> I hope her scene with America was all right; that was the most difficult part of this chapter to write…

**Author's Note:**

> The whole thing with Estonia’s human name all stems from the fact that ‘Esti’ was the first name I gave to her, but then I saw someone (who is really awesome~) using the name ‘Evelin’ for her, and I fell in love with it! I was too attached to Esti just to give it up, soI decided to go with both: Esti can be her nickname, and Evelin could be her real name. 
> 
> Since this is Nyotalia, I made the Baltics’ dynamic a bit different. Estonia is more hotheaded and less reserved than her male counterpart, Lithuania is emotionally fragile rather than overworried, and Latvia is demure and obedient rather than blunt and panicky. 
> 
> The next part will feature more Nyo-Nations, so stay tuned!


End file.
